


First Impressions

by IAmANonnieMouse



Category: Captive Prince - C. S. Pacat
Genre: Canon Compliant, Epilogue, Fluff, Kings Rising, Kings Rising Spoilers, M/M, Nikandros POV, POV Outsider, Post-Kings Rising
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-04
Updated: 2016-02-05
Packaged: 2018-05-18 02:23:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,520
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5894428
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IAmANonnieMouse/pseuds/IAmANonnieMouse
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The first time Nikandros sees the Prince of Vere, he is filled with equal parts hatred and fear. Hatred, because this twig of a boy has held his King captive, has owned him - the very thought makes him shudder - and degraded him. But fear, because this blond-haired, blue-eyed beauty of a boy is Damen’s weaknesses embodied, because this calculating, emotionless devil of a boy has no doubt realized this and will take complete advantage.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

The first time Nikandros sees the Prince of Vere, he is filled with equal parts hatred and fear. Hatred, because this twig of a boy has held his King captive, has owned him - the very thought makes him shudder - and degraded him. But fear, because this blond-haired, blue-eyed beauty of a boy is Damen’s weaknesses embodied, because this calculating, emotionless devil of a boy has no doubt realized this and will take complete advantage.

This is the Prince Damen gave Delpha to. This.

Nikandros watches them as they sit on their twin thrones, sees Damen’s stifled reaction as the Prince of Vere gives him a gold whip, even as the gathered Akielons eagerly await the men’s punishment. He sees Damen’s face flush, his eyes flying to the Veretian Prince’s, sees something in the air between them.

He sees the affected indifference of the Prince, a harsh contrast to Damen’s coiled tension, and he sees the Prince’s haughty arrogance, an attitude cultivated only in a man who has always lounged on a throne while others work and fight and die for him.

This is the man who left the Akielons to die at Charcy. This.

Nikandros sees it all, but he does not understand.

~+~+~

He sees Damen’s back while he fights Pallas, looks in horror at the scarred, demolished skin. He leads Damen into a tent, tears his clothes away, stares at the destruction.

He asks who did this to his King, and the Veretian answers. He wants to destroy the Prince for what he’s done, wants to strangle him to stop the vicious words that leave his mouth. He does not understand why Damen stops him.

He watches the Prince in the okton, grudgingly admires his seat on his horse, counts the first bullseye as luck. The second, third, and fourth as well.

He sees Damen catch a spear mid-flight, sees how Damen doesn’t care, too focused on the blond figure ahead of him. Watches the Prince make that skillful jump, watches, only half-surprised, as the Prince continues on, grasping a spear and making his last, perfect bullseye.

He sees the Prince’s arched brows, the glimmer in his eyes. Sees Damen’s radiant grin, his beautiful throw, his last spear landing alongside the Prince’s.

He sees something in the air between them and thinks he may be starting to understand.

~+~+~

Nikandros sees their fight, although he never intends to tell them. Exalted ordered the room cleared, he is told, and he understands, but he saw Damen’s face, wants to make sure Damen isn’t doing anything he’ll later regret. He looks through a small crack in the doorway and watches.

He sees Laurent enter the room, hears them exchange words. Sees Laurent pick up a sword, knows that the diminutive Prince will be easily vanquished.

Watches in awe as the Prince holds his ground, as steel clashes and more Veretian words are exchanged.

He hears one word, “Auguste,” and thinks he understands.

He watches their duel span the room, watches Laurent do everything he can, watches him inexorably give up more ground, watches Damen pin and disarm him. He hears Laurent shout something at Damen, face full of emotion Nikandros has never seen before, and sees Damen speak, stop, and leave the room.

Nikandros is hiding in an alcove when Damen passes.

Once Damen’s footsteps have receded, he looks into the room again, spots Laurent leaning with one hand against a wall, breathing deeply, steadily, body trembling. Not with fatigue, Nikandros realizes. This is the most not in control Nikandros has ever seen the Prince of Vere.

He sees Laurent stand up straight, touch his shoulder with a wince. He sees Laurent shift his arm with a slowness that reveals injury.

For the first time, he wonders just how much the Prince has been hiding from everyone so effortlessly. And for the first time he wonders why, exactly, Laurent of Vere never arrived at Charcy.

~+~+~

He watches the guards stop their caravan, hides his tension and fear as Damen tries to stop them, as the guards enter the wagon with Jokaste. Listens incredulously as the conversation continues, watches cautiously as the guards step outside, faces flushed, and escort them to the border.

He sees Laurent exit the wagon after the guards have gone, a ball of blue fabric in his hands. He sees the grin on Damen’s face, the faint, wry happiness echoed in Laurent’s.

He looks from Laurent to the wagon and back again.

Tries not to think about it too much, like Damen suggests.

~+~+~

He sees Laurent’s familiarity with Damen, glaringly obvious in the face of the Akielons' constant reverence. He sees Damen sit at the fire, sees Laurent casually join him, each comfortable in the other’s presence. Listens to Laurent share their adventures in the brothel, watches the Prince’s eyes as more stories are shared. Spots the warmth in them as he glances at Damen unnoticed, the slight softness of his mouth where Nikandros has only ever seen hardness.

He hears their soft words when everyone else is asleep, senses the intimacy that the Prince refuses to reveal in public. Listens as they practically make marriage vows and finds that, strangely, he is not as bothered as he thought he would be.

Nikandros thinks he understands.

~+~+~

He sees the trial, sees how Damen, furiously loyal, steadfast Damen risks himself to save Laurent. He sees, surprisingly, Laurent do the same, protecting Damen with Guion’s wife, revealing that he has been planning this far longer than Nikandros anticipated. He realizes, thinking of all his observations of the Veretian, that he should not be so surprised at Laurent’s actions.

He watches as the Veretian council pledges to Laurent, sees Laurent’s shock and awe, thinks, somewhat fondly, that the ever-scheming, fair-haired prince should have expected this.

If he were the Council, he would pledge to Laurent as well.

He sees Laurent go straight to Damen’s side, release him, and speak to him. He sees Damen smile and slip away, sees Laurent’s eyes follow him before he brings the Veretians under his control.

He sees Laurent leave to follow Damen, laughs at himself for ever hating this Prince - no, _King_ of Vere.

Nikandros sees this all and knows that he will never truly understand.

~+~+~


	2. Bonus: Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nikandros likes watching them, still. Seeing their indisputable unity as they work to join their kingdoms, noticing the fond looks they sometimes exchange.

Nikandros likes watching them, still. Seeing their indisputable unity as they work to join their kingdoms, noticing the fond looks they sometimes exchange. He’s gotten more talented at deciphering Laurent, although he is still regularly, amazingly surprised by the Veretian’s mind.

He accompanies them on their one-week hiatus outside Ios’s capital, an unfortunate necessity now that they are the Kings of their country. He tries to stay out of their way, standing off to the side and just watching, smiling, but Damen consistently drags him into their conversations, forces him to interact.

So Nikandros watches them, still, but now at a much smaller distance. Notices Laurent’s soft, relaxed posture, his rolled up sleeves, a subtle surrender to the Akielon heat, the gentle, miniscule curl at the edge of his mouth. Hears their barbed comments spoken in fond, quiet tones. Notices how Damen’s eyes never stray from Laurent, even as the Veretian looks at the expansive gardens, admires the waves on the coast, smiles at the breeze from the sea. Notices how easily they inhabit each other’s space, how Laurent is always careful to rest his shoulder against Damen, or his foot, or his leg, or his head.

Sees the dying light glint off their matching gold cuffs as they watch, side by side, the beautiful sun set over the kingdom they have created.

~+~+~

The first time he hears Laurent laugh, Nikandros thinks he has gone mad.

The second time, he finds himself smiling, a paltry twin of Damen’s look of pure, endless joy as he watches his friend, his lover, his King double over with laughter and clench his sides.

The third time, Nikandros can’t help but laugh as well.

~+~+~

He wonders about them, still, but in a different way, no longer concerned with loyalty and honesty and dependability. He knows what they would do for each other, knows that their bond can never be broken. Instead, he wonders at their comfort, their absolute, unwavering trust and love for each other, forged from lies and betrayal and pain.

He watches them playfully spar in the mornings, wonders what their lives would have been like had the war never happened. Watches their skill, so different but so beautiful, and wonders, for the first time, what kind of man Auguste had been. Knows that he must have been the kind of man Nikandros would follow without hesitation, if he was anything like Laurent.

He hears them, at night, talking softly to each other, laughing at foolish jokes. He hears Laurent formulate complicated, convoluted, impeccable plans, hears Damen unravel the unnecessary knots and tangles.

He rides alongside them as they return to the capital, notices Damen’s permanent smile, Laurent’s contented stance, and counts himself blessed to be here at their side.

This is the King Damen gave Delpha to. This.

Nikandros realizes that this is worth more than his Delpha ever could be.

~+~+~

**Author's Note:**

> Feel free to freak out about Kings Rising in the comments with me! I'm still not prepared to believe it's over. Nope. It's not. Nuh-uh. NEVER.

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [First Impressions by IAmANonnieMouse [Podfic]](https://archiveofourown.org/works/13063512) by [Rhea314 (Rhea)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rhea/pseuds/Rhea314)




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